Helicopter Carrying Trump Came Within Less Than a Mile of Jet Over Washington — Raising New Air Traffic Control Concerns
President Trump was onboard Marine One when the helicopter got too close to a commercial jet.
Aug. 6 2026, Published 8:10 a.m. ET
A military helicopter carrying President Trump came within less than a mile of a passenger jet above Washington on Tuesday, raising new concerns for air traffic control in the nation's capital, RadarOnline.com can report.
Aviation officials are now investigating why the plane was cleared for takeoff at Ronald Reagan National Airport with another craft nearby – an apparent violation of safety procedures put in place after last year's midair collision near the busy hub.
Poor Communications Nearly Led to a Disaster in the Sky
The president's chopper came within a mile of an Envoy Air jet leaving Reagan National Airport.
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating exactly what happened when the commercial jet took off Tuesday afternoon, just as Marine One was headed to Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard for the first leg of a West Coast trip.
According to the New York Times, "garbled communications" between the Marine One crew and the airport tower "delayed the controllers from clearing nearby air traffic."
Before taking off, the crew of the president's helicopter reportedly made three attempts to warn controllers they were preparing to lift off. However, it seems the communications went unheard.
The White House Insists President Trump was Safe
Trump was headed to Air Force One to start a trip to the west coast.
Initial findings indicate Marine One came within 0.8 miles of an Envoy Air passenger jet in the sky above Washington. FAA regulations require a safe distance of at least 1.5 miles to reduce the dangers of a collision.
The White House insisted Trump was never in any danger, and defended the helicopter pilots in a statement.
"Although the president was at no point in harm’s way during yesterday's momentary loss of separation, the White House continues to work with relevant military, F.A.A. and other security personnel to ensure the president’s continued safety," said Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson.
A Military Helicopter Collided with a Passenger Jet Last Year in a Similar Situation
A Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger jet over D.C. airspace in 2025.
The near-crash instantly brought back harrowing memories from January, 2025, when a packed passenger jet collided with a Military Black Hawk helicopter and plunged into Washington, DC's Potomac River.
American Airlines Flight 5342 was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to land at its final destination shortly before the crash. Sixty-four people on board the plane and three crew members of the helicopter were killed. There were no survivors.
Authorities later confirmed the chopper was flying 100 feet too high, breaking the strict protocol altitudes they can safely reach. The Black Hawk was flying between 251 feet and 349 feet of elevation, according to the NTSB, while the plane was at 325 feet at the time of the crash.
The pilots on the passenger plane are said to have attempted to redirect the jet with a last-minute maneuver. According to preliminary data from the flight's recorder, Captain Jonathan Campos and his First Officer Samuel Lilley tried to pull the jet's nose up just moments before the chopper crashed into it, with both aircraft falling into the Potomac River.
The FAA Implements New Rules After the Collision
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The FAA has since changed its rules and procedures at the busy airport.
The NTSB earlier this year concluded that a series of systemic failures by the FAA led to the collision, including the realization that a hotline connecting the Pentagon to the tower at Reagan hadn't been working for more than three years.
The board also found that the controller handling those flights was overtaxed by working two jobs at a busy time.
The FAA has since banned mixed helicopter and jet traffic around the airport, and commercial traffic is typically halted when Marine One is in flight around the airport.
New rules also require air traffic controllers to use radar to maintain separation and require all military aircraft to broadcast their locations.
